Chapter 89: A Leak of Righteousness Leads to a Major Demerit
I have to admit, Wei Lai's tea ceremony skills are excellent; she's ready to graduate.
Especially her pair of slender, narrow hands.
Her ten fingers were slender, with evenly trimmed nails that gleamed with a healthy pinkish luster.
Her hands were thin and slender, with little flesh, but excellent bone structure.
Those who know, know; true beauty lies in the bone structure, not just the skin. The same applies to appreciating the delicate hands of a beautiful woman.
These delicate, bony hands are the most deadly.
Wei Lai made full use of it.
In addition, a renowned teacher provided meticulous guidance and offered occasional pointers.
Respectful of her teacher, she lowered her head, furrowed her brows, and carefully brewed a pot of strong tea.
Occasionally, I would glance upwards to make eye contact, hoping to receive praise.
What's even more impressive is that Wei Lai not only possesses tea skills, but also tea ethics.
They were completely devoted to their teachers, showing utmost respect and obedience.
Without a second thought, she picked up the teacup and tasted the tea she had personally brewed.
It can be described as salty or bland, rich or thin, rising and falling.
Everything is contained in a cup of tea.
In the tea ceremony, Wei Lai, as a tea master, focuses on brewing tea.
Ouyang Rong, who was enjoying tea, used the time it took to drink a cup of tea to settle his mind and body and purify himself.
Then, with Wei Lai's soft reminder, he frowned slightly, worrying about the recent flooding of Butterfly Creek, which had kept him busy during the day.
After research.
Some suggested that we go directly to the Zheyi Canal, straighten out the bends, and solve the problem once and for all.
Ouyang Rong nodded, and then...
He gave a sharp rebuke to the little head, rejecting this radical proposal.
The approach adopted was gradual, specifically protecting the upstream Digong Sluice Gate from collapse and temporarily repairing and widening the downstream section.
The next time the Yunmengze floods, the floodwaters will be released.
Wei Lai covered the bump on her head and obediently agreed.
Finally, the two discussed the matter in private and came up with a water management plan that was appropriate in degree.
The young magistrate began to address the flooding of Butterfly Creek.
She's destined to be a workaholic, never idle day or night.
...
Morning, at the Deer Park.
Beside the breakfast table in the west hall.
"What is Tanlang thinking about?"
"Oh? It's nothing, I was just thinking about... flood control."
A woman in a silk skirt with a jade hairpin in her hair looked curiously at her nephew, who seemed a little distracted while drinking porridge.
She couldn't help but say:
"But Tanlang's expression looks a little off."
"What's wrong?" Ouyang Rong asked calmly, sipping his porridge.
"She looked a bit rosier than usual this morning."
"It's probably this glutinous rice porridge; it's quite thick, warm, and nourishing." He nodded.
Not far from the dining table, a pretty white-haired maidservant who was arranging pastries with a Silla maid seemed to have thought of something, and her face turned red.
However, when she arrived this morning, her complexion was quite rosy, just like Ouyang Rong's. This change didn't attract the attention of Banxi, who was always indifferent and looked down on her.
"I'm full, I'm going to work now, Auntie, please enjoy your meal."
Ouyang Rong quickly finished his porridge, wiped his mouth, and coughed lightly to give instructions.
He stood up, took the outer robe that Wei Lai ran over to hand him, put it on, and patted the white-haired maid's head before turning around and going out to greet the new day.
Wei Lai stood in front of the door, tiptoeing, her big gray-blue eyes gazing longingly at his retreating figure as he disappeared down the steps at the front door.
She tilted her head, raised her hand, and touched the sideburns he had just rubbed, looking a little dazed.
The girl's heart felt as sweet as if it had been coated with honey.
Today she is wearing her hair in a double bun.
This was done by her master after she got up in the morning, after all the fuss. He said he liked this kind of woman's hair and that she wanted to comb it for him every day.
Madam Zhen looked at her nephew's back with a strange feeling, sensing that something was off about him today.
Where is it? I can't quite put my finger on it.
The woman in the silk skirt caught a glimpse of the silly-looking little maidservant with white hair and frowned slightly.
This unlucky girl looks a little different.
Seems a bit too confident...
Ouyang Rong stepped into the county government office gate under the morning sun.
When his subordinates greeted him, he simply nodded, not wanting to speak much. His expression was slightly calm, as if he were contemplating life.
Having not broken my vow for a long time, and with Wei Lai being so clingy, it's one thing to do it at night, but I can't help but let my righteous spirit leak out when I wake up in the morning.
He could somewhat understand the silence that Su and Yan had maintained the previous day.
"A breach of righteousness has resulted in a major demerit."
Ouyang Rong sighed. The reason he decided to touch Wei Lai last night was that he suddenly realized a problem: what would happen to his personal maid if he left? Zhen Shi didn't like her, the Great Zhou Dynasty didn't welcome her, and she couldn't go back to her hometown... How could he settle the young Wei Lai in such a way?
It seemed there was only one way: to take advantage of the social norms of the time. Any woman he had touched would have to be kept by the Zhen family and the Ouyang family of Nanlong. So last night, under Wei Lai’s almost humble pleading gaze, Ouyang Rong let go of her hand and half-heartedly gave in. However, he still held back in the end and did not break the Di Gong Gate, thus guarding his last line of defense.
In addition, he did not come away empty-handed last night... While managing the floodwaters at Butterfly Creek last night, Ouyang Rong did come up with a completely new flood control plan, or rather, an improved version of the original one.
I remember it was Wei Lai who gave him the inspiration.
At the time, his main question was: if the Zheyi Canal could not be dug in a short time, how could the flooding of Butterfly Creek be controlled?
The white-haired maid blushed and whispered a suggestion, roughly meaning: These days, Master can first dig a shallow section of the Broken Wing Canal. It doesn't matter if it's not deep; digging a shallow section will control as much water as possible.
Someone grasped everything at once, experiencing a sudden and profound enlightenment:
"Yes, who says the Zheyi Canal has to be dug to its deepest point to achieve a grand finale? With the floods looming, the most important thing is that it can be used as quickly as possible. A shallower channel is fine; at the very least, it can reduce some of the flood peak. It's better than being helpless when the flood comes and we've only dug halfway through!"
Ouyang Rong, full of fighting spirit, entered the government office, opened the newly built case files, and began to study them.
"There is great potential."
Before long, the young magistrate muttered something and ordered his servants to summon County Magistrate Diao, Yan Liulang, Liu Ashan, and others.
He explained his new idea in detail.
The people looked at each other, each reacting differently.
County Magistrate Diao was somewhat shocked:
"My lord, are you saying that the Zheyi Canal is divided into two phases? The first phase is to reduce the depth and temporarily dig shallowly to open up the general channel. The second phase will then widen and deepen the canal to complete the channel according to the original plan?"
"That's right! How about it?"
The young magistrate spoke with unwavering resolve, his eyes sweeping over the crowd.
Magistrate Diao stroked his beard and remained silent.
Yan Liulang didn't understand these things and didn't speak.
Liu Ashan rarely spoke, but he offered a reminder:
"Sir, this segmented construction will definitely result in a lot of wasted effort."
"It's alright, these losses are acceptable."
Ouyang Rong nodded vigorously:
"Gentlemen, what we lack now is not food, silver, or workers; what we lack is time! If there are no objections, then let's proceed as planned!"
As the morning sun cast its light on his robes, the young magistrate decisively rose and made his decision:
"Issue the order: immediately change the course of the canal and remeasure it... Within two months, I want to see a canal with folded wings that can divert and release floodwaters at any time!"
The group exchanged glances and then clasped their hands in a fist salute.
"Here you are."
I didn't sleep, but I'm here! It's a bit short though... (sad)
(End of this chapter)
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